Mineral-separator.



w; P. ALDERSON. y MINERAL SEPARATOR; MPLlCATl'ON FILED FEB. I9. l9l6.

Patntd Apr. 30, 191.8.

lll'lll y certain new and useful Improvements inv llt) - winnen'rracnvanatnnnson, or trlnminsoivranto, canapa.

y ivrtnnaansnranaror..

Memisa.; i

Mineral-Separatore, of which inor isthe specilication.` Y l n yinvention relates to improvements in mineralseparators and the object ofthe inventionsto devise4 a` separator vwhich the followwill thoroughlyseparate the ner particles from thecoarser particles of the pulp, in

which the bearings ofthe separator are located above the level of thepulp and therefore havel a vlonger life, and inwhich the necessity fordigging out Aaccumulated pulp `beforeyst'arting the machine' is obviatedand it consists of `a troughclosed at one end and tapered toward theopposite n end, the tapered end being open and the plate 6in which islocated aslotted `outlet closed end being provided with al slottedoutlet lintermediate of its height, a main shaft extending 1longitudinally `centrally through thetroughya pivot support forone endofthe shaft, `a supportfor the opposite end of the shaft callyadjustingsuchopposite end upon the supportga rotary conveyercarried bythe shaft within the trough and conforming to the shape thereof, thatis7 having a tapered forward end, the said conveyer comprising two`series of segmental blades arranged to form adouble spiral, `the end ofeach blade overlapping and spaced forwardlyof the adjacent end ofthenext blade "in the series, and means for driving the shaft supportingthe "conveyer" as hereinafter more `particularly explainedby thefollowing specification. c Y i Figure 1, isa my separator.

Fig.- 2, is an enlarged longitudinal section throughlfigl.

` Fig. 3, is an endelevation showing a portion of the `trough with oneside broken away and in section.

general perspective yview of In the drawing like numerals of ref`-Vfigure. y

1 is a trough comprising"av horizontal portion 2 and a tapered portion3, thetapered portion being provided withan open end 4. Theopposite endof the troughl is providedwith a closed end formed by the end erenceindicate corresponding parts in each Specification of `Letters Patent.application mea February 19,1916. l serialivo.

ways 22 and 23.

and means for vertil ,brackets also U-shape4 in form `secured PatentedApnBtO, maaar"` i aan srariasrara 'r risica.

f( anda vertical slot 8 for a purpose which will `hert-iinafter appear`The trough 1 is supported on suitable chair standards 9 and 1Q. llisafeedinlet. 13 is the conveyer shaft provided at one end with a bearingsleeve 14 having trunnions lr5` resting in bearing recesses f16 formedin the bearing blocks 17 carried bythe bea1n118. 19 is an Igbeam"extending across the end of the trough against the outside face of theplate 6, and above the outlet `slot 7. 20 is an angle'barsecured to theplate 6 and tothe topoffthefbeam 19V so as to support the correspondingend of the trough. f 21 is an inverted U-bracket boltedto the angle bar20and -beam 19 andlocated oppositethe "center'fofthe trough 1.` Thebracket 21 is provided with internal vertical guide-ways 22 and 23. 24is a slide piece substantially U-sha`pe in form,

the vertical edge portions of which extend `into `the vertical guide- 25is a sleevesecured on the shaft 15. 26 and 27are trunnions eX- tendingfrom the sleeve into bearing` `enlargements 28and 9 formed in the sidepiece 24. Y

30 is a stem `secured at its` lower end in the enlargement 31 of theslide piece .24. The stein 30 is provided with a threaded upper portion`-which passes freely through an orifice 32 in the top bar of thebracket 21. 33 .is a hand wheel screwed on to the upper threadedend ofthe stem 30 so as to bear against the upper end of the bracket 21. 34 isthe main driving shaftrupon which is mounteda bevel gear 35 meshing withthe bevel gear 36 carried by the shaft 131 The main shaft 34 is in axialalinement with the center of the trunnions 15. 37, 38" and` 39 arespiders 13. The spider "37 is thespider 38 which is than the spider 39.l y y 40 are bars secured to the `outer yends of the arms of the spiders37, 33 and 39. The portions 41 of the bars 40 converge slightly inwardlyand theportionsk42 of the bars 40 converge sharply together toward thetapered open end 4 of the trough 1 so as to present a conical formation.43 areseries of U-shape brackets carried by the portions `41 of the bars40. `The brackets 43 gradually increase in inner ends zof the portions41.

slightly y larger than considerably larger Y 44 are vcarried by theshaft n size toward the f the portions 42 ofthe bars 49,'the` brackets44 being substantially` equal in size. 46

are series of'v segmentalV arc-shape blades, one end of each blade beingsecured to the rear arm of each bracket 43 supported by the portions 41of a bar 40 and at the opposite end to the forward arm of each bracketsecured to the next ladjacent bar 40. The bladesare also arranged to'form a double spiral around the portions 40 of the bars 41, theendportion of each arc-shapev segmental blade 46 being'y set i'n advance ofthe adjacent end yof the next succeeding blade as is shown clearlyy inFig. 2 of the drawings. It will also be ynoticed on referring to Fig. 2that the blades 46 increase gradually in width from the end of theconveyor toward the center for. that portion carried by the spider 3S. tthis point in the conveyer the blades are a maximum width.

47 area series of blades. carried by the portion@ of the bar 40. Theblades 47'y are substantially' of'the'equal width and therefore"coliform to the general tapered formation ofthe eonveyer extending fromthe spider 38 to the open end 5 of the trough l.

From the above description itwill be seen that the outer periphery ofthe conveyer conforms in shape. tothe internal periphery of the troughl. The ends of the blades 47 are arranged in spiral formation and arespaced apart' inA a similarway to the blades 46 previously described.

At the extreme end or apex of the conveyer single blades 48 and- 49 areemployed carried bythe brackets 50 and 51 secured to the portions 42'ofthe bars 40. y

Having described the principal parts involved in my invention l willrbriefly describe the operation of the same. 4

The pulp is fed through the inlet l1 into the trough and has a tendencyto flow into the horizontal or deep portion of the trough 2. Theconveyer revolves in the direction indicated by arrow in Fig. 2. As theconveyer revolves the advancing ends of the blades 46 engage the pulpfeedingv it forwardly up the incline of the trough. As the bladecontinues' to revolve the pulp passesy fromthe end of the blade on tothe advancingend of the next adjacent blade situated slightly rearwardlyand is then carl ried again forward. By this means as the pulpViowsfbacl from one blade to the next blade it loosens up allowing the'fine particles to free themselves from the mass and float into theliquid mixed with the pulp. rlhis action is repeated as the pulpv passesfrom one blade tothe other until all the fine particles have beenremoved from the mass as such mass is carried-up the inclined portion 3of the trough to the outlet- 4; The mass afterthis separating operationhas taken place consists* of thel coarser particles of whichy areYdischarged through the discharge orifice 4, such mass being drained asVit passes above the liquid level in the trough.` Fine particlesseparated as above described are carried by the iow on the surface ofthe liquid rearwardly above the lower blades 46 and through the outletslot 7. After the separator has been left to stand and a certain amountof pulp settles and remains'in the bottom of the trough all that isnecessary to do is lo turn the hand wheel 33 so as to draw vup the stem3l) and slide piece 24 and the corresponding end of the shaft 13supported therein upwardly so as to clear the blades 46 from the mass.After the blades are carried clear of the mass they may be againgradually lowered by Vreversing the motion of the hand wheel 3b' so asto gradually engage the mass of pulp and carry it forwardly. lf desired,of course, after each separating operation the conveyor may be left inthe raised position so that the blades will be clear of any pulp whichymay remain after settling in the bottom of the trough.

By my construction the digging out of the pulp is obviated, the machinebeing so constructed as to clear itself of the settled pulp at thebeginning of each operation.

Also in such a machine as l have described the pulp is thoroughlyloosened up allowing the liquid to mix freely therewith and the lighterparticles to separate themselves from the coarser and iioat to thesurface of the liquid to a separate outlet while the coarser particlesbeing carried in an opposite direction to a separate point of discharge.

lllhat l claim as my invention is'- '1. A mineral separator comprisingay trough having a tapered portion atone end terminating in a dischargeopening, a closure for the opposite end having a discharge orificetherein, a supporting strncture, a suitably driven shaft extendinglongitudinally through the trough pivot-ally carried on the supportingstructure at one end so as to swing in a vertical plane and 110adjustably supported upon the supporting structure at the opposite end,and a spiral conveyer carried by the shaft having a tapered endconforming to the shape of the trough.

2. A mineral separator comprising a trough having a tapered endterminating ina discharge orifice and a closure for the opposite endhaving a discharge orifice, a conveyor rotatably mounted within thetrough to conform to the shape thereof and comprising a. series ofsegmental arc-shape blades arranged in spiral form, the rearward end ofeach bla de being set forwardly of the rear end of the next forwardadjacent blade, and means for raising the conveyer clear of the bottomof the trough.

3. A mineral separator comprising a trough having a tapered endterminating in a discharge orifice and having an inlet orce in theperiphery thereof, a closure for spaced forwardly of the forward end ofthe the opposite end of the trough having a disnext forward adjacentblade and U-shaped 10 charge orifice located intermediately of itsbrackets having the adjacent forward and height, a spiral conveyerrotatably mounted rear ends of the blades secured thereto.

5 Within the trough and conforming to the WILLON PERGEVAL ALDERSON.'shape thereof comprising a series of seg- Witnesses: n a mentalarcshape blades arranged in spiral JOHN S. GORMAN, formation, the rearend of each blade being ALEX. J. MACGREGOR.

Maler af thm patent may he obtained for nire cents each, by addressi i lwarmem, 1D. Y

:um the ommlralmmcr of atenta,

